In the Skin of a Jihadist audiobook

Catfishing in SyriaAn amazing story let down by an average translation. It was also very short, considering the topic. What the book did give me was a clear understanding of the levels manipulation these men go to, to recruit the girls, and why the girls go. Her biography of her character Melodie that she invented was powerful and made me understand the attraction for the lost youth of Europe. It was also terrifying in parts. The fear I felt for this woman was deep and real and I hope she is safe. Her book is important, her work is important. She's one brave person!

I salute her! Not much to say, you should read it yourself.

This was so interesting to read but holy shit that last page was scary!

This was a short, fast, engaging read about a subject on which I was admittedly not well-informed. Anyone with access to media know that ISIS is a serious problem for the world at large, and that their tactics are pretty horrifying. I knew that, for whatever reason, outsiders can be drawn into their cause, so we see Americans and Europeans also committing atrocities for their "cause". But what I didn't know much about was, not only ISIS itself, but also their horrifying recruitment network. Like any other cult, they twist and turn religious texts to suit their purposes, and then use them to manipulate vulnerable people, male and female, to join their cause. Because of the power which ISIS holds over the areas where it rules, quite often once their recruits are inside, they cannot get back out, even if they want to. If you think I've just spoiled everything this book talks about, though, don't worry. This story is more about our pseudononymous author and her brief but life changing online recruitment experience/ relationship with someone high in ISIS ranks. How someone rational and western can, in the pursuit of knowledge as to why and how young Europeans keep leaving to join ISIS, stumble into a story too good to resist, and end up bringing down upon her own head the fury and (so far just) threats of a high ranking terrorist and by extension his organization. It was a crazy experience for "Anna", being both herself and Melodie, like being in espionage or deep undercover, but without the prior training and concurrent support that such fields often offer. Fielding questions and conversations with Bilel. Learning more and more about him, his organizations, and the network they used to keep their organization staffed and dangerous. It's scary. the story kept me engrossed, and I finished most of it in a day. I'm not saying that the (translated) writing was genius, but it was effective. It conveyed Anna's feelings. It conveyed the growing danger and terror of her situation. and it taught me a lot about a part of the world I wish I didn't need to know about. I do recommend this book. it's a short read, but worth your time.

Je trouve que c'est un livre très intéressant à lire pour comprendre comment les jeunes se font embobiner sur le net pour aller rejoindre la Syrie. Un livre addictif, je n'ai pas pu le lâcher avant de l'avoir terminé. J'y ai passé une partie de la nuit ce qui ne m'arrive jamais. Un livre très flippant, Mélanie et Anna m'ont communiqué leurs angoisses et leurs peurs. En lisant cette enquête, il apparait clairement que ces djihadistes sont aux antipodes de l'islam et je peine à imaginer comment certain(e)s peuvent croire le contraire tellement c'est aberrant, absurde. Pour ne citer que ça, lorsque Bilel dit qu'il ne faut pas vivre chez les "mécréants" mais dans le même temps ça ne le dérange absolument pas de porter du parfum Dior ! Trouvez l'erreur ...J'ai énormément de peine pour ces parents qui soufrent par la perte de leurs enfants engouffrés dans les méandre de ces sectes. J'avoue que ce livre m'a marqué, perturbé, m'a donnée la rage de voir des gens mal intentionnés utiliser une si belle religion pour arriver à leurs fins et c'est pour le coup du pain bénit pour les islamophobes. Comme le disait Nicolas Henin, dans son livre "Jihad Academy" (que je vous recommande au passage, excellent ): "Le djihadisme et l'islamophobie sont les deux faces d'une même médaille. Ils se nourrissent l'un de l'autre"Pour finir je trouve qu'il faut néanmoins garder un esprit critique et interroger les bonnes personnes pour connaitre certain aspect de la religion musulmane, car j'ai trouvé certaines choses qui peuvent contribuer aux amalgames, à la confusion et à la stigmatisation, ce dont on n'a vraiment pas besoin en ce moment en France. Ne pas tomber dans le piège en véhiculant les fausses définitions. Par exemple, le terme Tawhid qui est présenté comme je cite: " un dogme fondamentaliste de l'islam" ce qui est faux. Le Tawhid c'est tout simplement la science de la croyance dans la religion musulmane.

It's more than amazing, everything is perfect in this bokk, i couldn't stop reading it. I felt like i was living all the events. Fantastic ... !!

Un trabajo bastante arriesgado, pero así uno se entera lo que es capaz de hacer esta gente por captar más seguidores.

Aflam din aceasta carte povestea unei jurnaliste care se decide sa aprofundeze problema legata de filierele de recrutare ale Statului Islamic.Face parte din cartile pe care le citesc cu teama pentru că subiectul nu este tocmai placut, este dur . Subiectul pe scurt: Anna isi face un cont fals pe retelele de socializare , folosindu-se de numele Melodie; astfel poate urmări mișcările organizațiilor islamice. În momentul în care îi atrage atenția unui terorist se decide să pornească o anchetă pentru a afla ce le așteaptă pe femeile care ajung în Orient după ce sunt contactate pe internet de aceste organizatii.Această înscenare durează o lună, timp în care Abu Bilel o seduce pe Melodie și o pregătește să vină la el. Când se apropie momentul acesta îi mărturisește că a reușit să aranjeze căsătoria. Anna are un plan bine stabilit, pleacă în Orient alături de un coleg fotograf, dar lucrurile ajung să scape de sub control.Toată această anchetă a ajutat-o să afle câteva tehnici de manipulare de la Bilel. Mie mi-a atras atenția tehnica prin care prezentau morții: cei "credincioși" erau fotografiati în așa fel încât să pară că au murit fericiți în timp ce "necredinciosii" erau lăsați să se descompuna ceea ce demonstra că acestia din urma erau pedepsiți și nu ajungeau în Paradis.

A spine-chilling read on so many levels. The book shows how young women are drawn into the terrorist world but I'm sure the same methods are used by cults everywhere. The book also shows the devastating psychological effects of pretending to be somebody else, somebody with a totally different mindset, for just a few weeks. I wondered whether actors who like to immerse themselves in their characters find it equally difficult to return to "normal" life afterwards.Finally, we are given a very tiny glimpse of life for those who have failed to meet the standards set by terrorist groups. In this instance, the consequences are must worse than the "shunning" used by cults. The victim's entire life becomes one of changed identities, loss of home, loss of friends etc. in an effort to remain alive.The next time you wonder why so many young Western women have responded to the call of terrorists, read this book. And be appalled that we in the West are not arming them more effectively to withstand the pressures placed upon them.

I was always very intrigued by how societies can fail in such a way that so many leave from several countries to join an extremist religious quest in a country that is not their own, following blindly beliefs that they were not raised with. This book really gave me more insight into how such a process can go. The topic is very complex and I think the book only really touched the surface of the physiological state someone must be in to be drawn into such a dystopic dream. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting read and one that can put us a bit more alert to things that are happening a bit everywhere in the world, hidden behind "normality" curtains.